Internal-combustion engine



Nov. 12, 1929.

v. H. PALM- INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE" Filed April 13, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet v. H. P LM INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Nov. 12, 1929.

Filed April 13, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 12,1929

UNITE STATES PATENT "o n VICTOR H. IPALILQOF BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Application filed April 13, 1928. ser ial no. 269,697.

This invention relatesto internal combust1on engines and more particularly to improvements in such engines which render them more economical and powerful and 5 which is especially adapted to increase their valve for timing the high pressure air for starting the engine. or for driving it, the rotary valve also functioning to' control the inlet passages to difierent pump cylinders.

from a consideration of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters nal combustion engine elevational view thereof-taken along the line 11-11,. Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a cross-sectional. view of the pump piston illustrating-the piston rod and connecting rod connections withthe piston member; Fig. 4 a longitudinal sectional view of the rotary valve. taken along the line IVs-IV, Fig. 5; Fig. 5 a vertical sectional elevational view of-the rotary valve 5 Fig. 6 a sectional view of the valve shown in Fig. 5 taken along the line VI-'-VI'thereof; Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the .valve bushing, and Figs. 8 and 9 are side and bottom elevational views of the rotary valve.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the invention contemplates a utilization of four power cylinders 1, 1, 1 and 1, and four pumping cylinders 2, 2*, 2? 'and 2,'the cylinders being arranged in tandem, in th'e'order named. As shown in Fig. 2,'the pumping cylinder 2 is mounted on a crank case 3 in which the crank shaft 4 is rotatablyjournalled. The power cylinder 1 is provided with'a cylinder. head 5, an inlet port 6, an exhaust port 7 and piston 8, the latter control The invention will become more apparent crank shaft'4. I

shaft 20 is journalle'd in the crank The valves 26 are biased'by ling the port 7 in'its reciprocatingmovement .to establish connection with the atmosphere through the exhaust passage 9. The cylinder head 5 and cylinder 1 are provided with spaces 10 and 11 for cooling the overheated 4 An interme'dlate head 12 is disposed between cylinders 1 parts in a customary manner.

1 and 2 and is provided with a stuffing box '13 for packing a pistonrod 14 that connects the power piston 8 with a piston 15 of the pump cylinder 2. A port 16 is provided be-' tween the piston .8 and the intermediate head I 12 to provide for the ingress and egress of air for cooling the under'sideofthe power piston 8.1

In the construction shown, "the piston rod .14 is'held, in central alinement by the stuff ing box 13 which steadies the pistons .8 and I 15 in operation to prevent undue wear on the-cylinder walls. The pump piston 15-is connected by a wrist .pin 1- toconnecting rod 18 which is journalled on; a crank 19 of the I Y The cant ease in parallel alinement with the crank 23 which actuate cam rollers or followers 24 that are mounted on the ends of the push rods 25 which operate inlet valves 26 that control] the inlet passages 6 of the power cylinders. coil springs 27 to closed or seating position, the spring 27 resting against the spring seats 28 and 29, the latter'being adapted to enga'ge a strip'30 i on the push rod 25.

The valve 26 is provided with a sleeve 31' of substantially the same surface area as the valve seat to balance the valve against pressures conducted through the intake port 32, the balance sleeve 31 being ring-sealed at 33 to prevent loss ofpressure past the sleeve 31. The pumping cylinder is provided with aplurality of passages 34 which are connected by manifolds 35, 36, 37 and 38 with the casing 39 of the rotary valve shown in Figs. 1 and 5 and orts similar to the port 34 are connected y manifolds 40, 41,42 and 43 to the 100,

inlet passage 32 leading to the valves 26. The heads 5 of the power cylinders are provided with fuel nozzles 45 which are provided with fuel lines 46 leading to a fuelinjector pump 47, Fig.1. i

As shown in Fig. 1 the cam shaft 20 is geared by helical gears 48 and 49 to shaft 50 of the rotary valve 65', the shaft 50 operating at the same speed as the cam shaft and the latter is further provided with a'spiral ear 51 which interacts with the gear teeth 0 the gear wheel 52 to operate a shaft 53\ that actuates the injector pump 47 or which may be utilized. to drive a magneto where an ignition system is employed.

Referring to Figs. 4 and5, the rotary valve for timing the high pressure air consists of housing 39 in which is mounted the shaft 50,

the latter being journalled by ant-ifriction bearings 55. Inthe upper portion of the housing 39 a sleeve 56 is mounted for angular movement which is effected through a handle member 57 by means of which the sleeve 56 is movable between the limits of strokes 58 and 59-, Fig. 4. As shown in Flg. 4" the sleeve 56 is provided with aport--60wh1ch is adapted to connect the valve with a. high pressure port 61 or an air intake port 62-for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

The valve casing 39 is provided with openings 63 which connect to the manifolds 35, 36, 37 and 38 leading to thepuinp cylinders. The stationary bushing 64 is secured in the housing 39 and a rotary valve 65 is fixedto the shaft 50 and adapted to rotate therewith piston 8 and the pump cylinder piston 15 are within the bushing 64. The lower portion of the valve housing 39 is further provided with. a passage 66 which constitutes an exhaust. port when the engine is operating under high pressure or an inlet passage when the pump cylinders draw in air at atmospheric pressure as shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9; the bushing 64 .and' valve '65 are provided with 'L-shape ports 68 the circumferential length of which is 70 degrees, four such ports being provided" in the bushing 64 and one designated at 69 in the rotary valve 65. The valve 65- is further provided with an exhaust'port .70 whichis in line with the vertical leg 71 of the L-port 69 but disposed at an angle of 35 degrees therefrom fora purpose to be hereinafter stated.

The operation of the engine is briefly as follows:

For starting, the handle member 57 of the rotary valve is moved to the position where the port 60 isopen to the inlet port 61 leading a ter will then, through the timing of the roto a source of high pressure fluid and the lat-- tary valve bedirected through the manifolds 35, 36, 37 a'nd38 to their respectlve pump cylindersto act upon the pistons for thelr 'down stroke' thereby constituting the pumping cylinders power cylinders. On the up stroke of the pumpingpistons the air is compressed and is passed .through the inlet pasnjected, finally travel, this being effected through the relation of the ports 68 and 69 which are 70 degrees, and on account of the rotary valve 65 operating at the same speed as the crank shaft, the ports will be open from the time they enter into alinement until they have passed which is-through'a distance equal to the sum of the length of the ports and totals 140 'degrees. The vertical legs of the L-shape port arethe last to come into aline-ment and will give a larger port opening until the point of V Theair expands about-35 degrees of the crank travel after the L-shape ports have been cut off and the exhaust port 70 opened and remains open until the crank has travelled 15 degrees more, for the purposelof giving the air pressure time to exhaust down to atmospheric pressure which will just fill the charge pump cylinder with the proper amount of air to transfer to the power cylinder to keep the latter working in the same manner as if the pump cylinder were drawing its air T'before it transferred it to the power cylinder. In the operation of the engine, when the at their upper stroke, the power cylinder 1 is v in position to fire and the pump cylinder 2 has transferred its air charge tothe power cylinder 1? which is at one-half of the compressionstroke. The rotary valve will then be just opening into the manifold 35 and the manifold 36 will be open for one-half the stroke to the pump cylinder 2". The power cylinder 1 has just completed its full stroke and this cylinder has been scavenged by virtue of its exhaust port '7 being opened by the piston 8 passing it. The pump cylinder2" will be on the compression stroke and the cam 23 on shaft 20 will open valve 26 in the power cylinder 1 which will be scavenged until the piston 8- closes the exhaust port on the return stroke. The remainder of the air from pump cylinder 2 will be forced into the power 7 cylinder 1 until the piston 15 in cylinder 2 I has completed its stroke, when the valve 26 closes and piston 8 in ower cylinder 1 will compress the charge 0 air until the heat of compression will fire oil or fuel injected through the nozzle 45. The foregoing description of the operation isfor one revolution, but with the four cranks on the quarter, each power cylinder is brought into fire with each revolution, the rotationof firing when going ahead being If the engine starts backward, the pump cylinders will not time right since the cranks being on the quarter will change their feed in relation to each other, and the rotation of firing likewise changes. The firing with the engine running backwards would be 1, 1, 1 and 1" and the pumps would be 2 to 1; 2 to 1; 2 to 1 and 2 to 1. From this it is evident that the engine will not run backwards vwithout'the cams starting inlet valves and the manifolds being changed to suit.

As previously explained, the exhaust port 70 in the rotary valve is in line with but not as long as the L-port 69 so that it will not open into the ,ort 68 until it comes to thevertmal L-part o it, thus making the timing right.

The ports may vary in degrees of opening and exhaust under different engine speeds if need be. .When the sleeve valve 56 is turned to open to the passage 62, the pump cylinders will draw their air from the atmosphere while the'rotary valve L port 69 is travelling over the port 68 of the bushing,

v this being 140 degrees or leaving 35 degrees piston or crank travel before the exhaust. port 70 opens and lets air come in to finish supplyingthe air in the pump cylinder, 'With this arran ement there will be full pump cylinder 0 air to scavenge the power cylinder and supply a new charge.

It is evident from the foregoing descript1on of this invention that internal combus tion engines formed in accordance therewith,

Y may be scavenged and charged in a positive and eflicient manner when operated in units of four cylinders on a two-stroke cycle. It is also evident that a single rotary valve for controlling the chargin cylinders provide perfect timing and simpl ing either under high pressure or when the charging pumps are drawing their ownair.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will beobviousto those skilled in the art that various modifications may be madein the details of construction and in the arrangement of the several co-operating-parts withoutdeparting from the principles herein stated. I claim herein as my invention:

. 1. An internal combustion engine comprising four power cylinders and four pumping cylinders arranged in tandem and having their pistons connected by a common piston rod, the cranks of the respective cylinders being on the quarter, valves controlling the incontrol for operatlet passage of the power cylinder and a rotary valve geared at the cam shaft and adapted to rotate at the-speed of the crank shaft said valve being adapted for timin the inlet passage of the charging pump cylinders for starting the engine by high pressure fluid and for opening the inlet passages of the pumping cylinders to the atmosphere to exhaust said cylinders to maintain a proper quantity of air char e for compression.

2. An internal com ustion engine comprising a plurality of cylinders arranged in pairs the cylinders of each pair bein in superposed relation, individual valves or controllin the inlet passages of the upper cylinders, and a valve timing device for controlling the pas.- sages of the lower cylinders, said valve timing device comprising a casing having L-shape ports therein, and a rotary member having an L-shaped port ,co-operating with said ports in succession.

3. An internal combustion engine comprising a plurality of cylinders arranged in pairs,

the cylinders 'of each pair being in superj posed relation and constituting power and pumping cylinders, pistons having re'ciprocatin'g movement therein, piston rods joining each pair of superposed pistons, a crankshaft, connecting rods for joining each pair of pistons with the cranks of the crankshaft to render the pistons of the various pairs of cylinders operative in a predetermined succession, passages for conducting fluid from the leading pumping cylinders .to the succeeding power cylinders, valves for controlling said passages, and a valve device having. ports connectedto the inlets of said pumping cylinders, said valve device con-. trolling the opening and closing of said :ports successively and admitting fluid underpressure to one of the pumping cylinders on the downstroke of its piston and means to open said port to permit the fluid pressure to exhaust.

4. In an internal combustion engine,'the combination of a plurality of pairs of cylinders consisting of a pumping cylinder and a power cylinder arranged in tandem, a piston each cylinder and connected by a common piston rod, each pair of pistons of the various pairs of cylinders operative in a predetermined leading relation to the succeeding pair, passages for conducting fluid from'the leading pumping cylinders to the succeeding power cylinders, valves for controlling the flow of fluid through said passages, a valve timing device having stationary ports connected to the inlets of said pumping cylinders, for controlling the ingress of fluid to said passages and said cylinders, and a roa power cylinder arranged in tandem, a piston in each cylinder and connected by a common piston rod, each pairpf pistons of the various pairs of cylinders operative in a predetermined leading relation to the succeeding pair, passages for conducting fluid from i the leading pumping cylinders to the succeeding power cylinders, valves for controlling the fiow of fluid through said passages, a valve timing device having stationary ports connected to the inlets of said pumping cylinders for controlling the ingress of fluid to said passages and said cylinders, and'a rotatable member co-operating with said stationary ports and in timed relation thereto, said rotatable member having-one inlet port and one exhaust port. a

6. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 4, in which the stationary ports and the rotary port of the valve-timing device are L-shaped and arranged to have their I 7 maximum openings at the point of cut-01f,

7. In an internalcombustion engine, the combination with a plurality of pumpmg cylinders, of a power cylinder in associated relation to each pumping cylinder, an inlet passage connecting each of the pumping cylinders to the succeeding power cylinder, valves for controlling said passages, a valvetiming device for controlling the passages of the pumping cylinders, and pistons in each of said cylinders for compressing a charge of fluid in-one of the pumping cylinders and delivering the charge to the succeeding power cylinder during the compression stroke of the said pistons.

8. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a plurality of pumping cylinders, of a power cylinder in associated relation to each pumping cylinder, an inlet passage connecting each of the pumping cylinders to the succeeding power cylinder, valves for controlling said passages, a valve timing device for controlling the passages o? the pumping cylinders, and pistons in each of said cylinders for compressing a charge of fluid in one of the power cylinders by the combined action of the said pistons in the power cylinder and its co-acting pumping cyf linder during the compression stroke there- 0 9. An internal combustion engine, comprising a plurality of cylinders arranged in pairs, the cylinders of each pair being in superposed relation and constituting power and pumpingcylinders, pistons having reciprocating movement therein, piston rods joining each pair of superposed'pistons, a

crankshaft, connecting rods for joiningeach pair of pistons with the cranks of the crankshaft to render the pistons of -the various pairs of cylinders operative in a predetermined succession,. passages for conducting fluid from the leading pumping cylinders to the succeeding power-cylinders, valves for In testimony whereof I, the said VICTOR.

I-I. PALM,l1a V0 hereunto setmy hand.

- VICTORH. PALM. 

